Newbury Youth Theatre - The Curious Case of the Ugglie Wump and Other Mysterious Monsters

27th July 2013 and at the Edinburgh Fringe.

Review from the Newbury Weekly News.

Truly original theatre

Youth group worthy of Edinburgh Fringe plaudits

Newbury Youth Theatre: The Curious Case of the Ugglie Wump and Other Mysterious Monsters, at the Corn Exchange, on Saturday, July 27

Have you heard of the Ugglie Wump, who lives under the town of Wonky
Bracket? Or Hildegard, the tree beast, who turns children into boiled
sweets? What about Foliculous, the kelp-bearded sea monster? Surely you've
heard tales about the mysterious swamp-dwelling Moobies? If not, you must
have had a very sheltered childhood.

The children of Wonky Bracket are very aware of the monsters that
surround their town - after all, they are a suspicious lot who never wear
shoes, despite it having rained constantly on their homes for the last 200
years. And so, when their parents disappear suddenly, the children set off
on a monster hunt, in the certainty that one of the fabled beasts must be
responsible;

Taking Sticky Monsters, a book of beastly Post-It note line
drawings by artist John Kenn Mortensen as inspiration, along with the
similarly unsettling artwork of Edward Gorey, Wump was
devised entirely by Newbury Youth Theatre members with the support of NYT's
"grown up" theatre practitioners, giving the 25-strong ensemble cast the
opportunity to develop their own characters, as both the town's children and
the monsters.

The resulting production allowed ensemble members to demonstrate their
strong acting ability and skills at song and dance, with a satisfying streak
of well-timed comedy carried through by some cast members, giving relief to
what would otherwise be a very dark and scary tale. Things got a little busy
up on the Corn Exchange stage at points, but generally the size of the
ensemble helped add to the imagery, conjuring up child-swallowing forests
and stormy seas through mass movement.

Suitable for children aged six and over, as well as adults who still
sleep with the light on, the twisted set and freakishly frightening masks
drew heavily on Mortensen and Gorey's artwork - as did the use of black
umbrellas, which pop up regularly in both artists' drawings.

Having only explored Mortensen and Gorey's work as a result of
Wump, it is clear that NYT have grasped the combination of fear and
fun in their drawings, creating a world which is both nightmarish and
innocent, as it is never made clear if the monsters of Wonky Bracket really
exist, or are creations of the children's imaginations. Which begs the
question: what really did happen to their parents...?

Having won awards and five-star reviews for the last five consecutive
years at the Edinburgh Fringe, NYT are taking Wump up to
their regular Edinburgh haunt of Venue 40, The Quaker Meeting House, next
week from Monday to Saturday.

Hopefully this year's production will be met with the same plaudits; but
whether or not Edinburgh officially acknowledges it, the NYT cast and crew,
under the long-term direction of Amy and Tony Trigwell-Jones and artistic
director Robin Strapp, should be incredibly proud of an entirely original
production and the dark world of childhood nightmares that they have
created.